Thoughts flutter throughout the day. Few stay, few flit, few need to be celebrated. Thoughts are man’s gift, valuable enough to cherish for infinity. In a hope to immortalize those thoughts, I etch words onto this blog wishing all the way to carry them further into the world.

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Friday, 28 February 2014

It is always fun naming characters. You create a new
identity when you name them. But how to make the name stand out or be unique?

Make a list – Always a good way to start. Jot down
all those names you are partial to and see if the name works well for your
character. Does it fit your character? I’m not talking about the name meaning.
Just how it sounds when you call that person with that name. If the character is a pretty and soft girl naming her Flora will do wonders to the character's image.

Friends can help too – I do this when I am not able
to find a good name. I ask my best friends to give me a list of names. A good one
might just pop out of it. Or better, you could take a name and make a version
of it. Smash two names to get one of your liking. Say, there are two names Aayan
and Han. Aahan is created out of it. Fun, yes?

Get rid of favoritism – One of my stories had four
of the ten round character’s names beginning with the letter J. And my other
story had two Js. Break out of the preference and look for names starting from
different letters.

Meaning – I like to name my characters with that
name whose meaning I feel does justice to the character. We know Harry means ruler. Imagine naming Filch that. However, you DON’T have to follow
this at all! Sometimes the irony is great too. And really, most of the times readers don't look for this detail.

Last names – Last names can be hard to create. Steal
last names from real people you know or you can make up your own. However, in realistic
fiction think twice before you do that. In India, it so happens that different
sects of people share a particular last name. It sometimes identifies the state
they are from. Or the religion. Do some research when it comes to names in
realistic fiction or any genre for the matter.

Ethnicity – The same thing I mentioned in last
names. Decide on your character’s background and name him/her so. If it is a
Russian character you could name him something like
Vladimir; the name must indicate the ethnicity.

Originality – Kick convention aside. Names can have
a lot of impact on the reader. So impress them with your creativity. Bring out
some original names.

Unique doesn’t mean weird – Now, Voldemort is quite
unique. But it doesn’t come across as weird. In the name of being creative, don’t
generate names that are hard to pronounce or read. You don’t want the reader to
find it a mouthful that they just skim over the word. Simple isn’t a crime.

Common names are also not a crime – Don’t hesitate to
use popular names. You want to name your protagonist Tom? It is better than
something like Kiloushjt.

What is the internet for? – Google ‘Baby boy names
starting with the letter A’ and you find yourself looking at many sites that
offer you long lists of some great names. The internet is your largest resource of
information. Exploit it.

Don’t forget the time – Yes. This is very crucial.
You cannot name a 16th century knight with a modern day punk name.
Choose names that indicate the time period your story is set in.

Nicknames - Do you want your character to have a nickname? Choose a name that can be shortened to a good nick name. Foe example - Elizebeth to Lizzie or Sushanna to Suze.

Things - Yes, you can use things to name your character. Wood can be an excellent last name.

Do you like the name? – If you aren’t comfortable
with the name, your character isn’t comfortable too. Make sure you are ok with
it.

The 100 days of happiness is a project that challenges you to be happy for a stretch of 100 days finding new ways to be happy. A walk with your dog, baking a cake! You name what makes you happy.
Easy? Tough? Why don't you try it out yourself and find out!
Link-100happydays

Research is of utmost importance when you are writing a
novel. Even when the setting of the story is a place you are born and brought
up in you need to research about the place. There will always be a story or an
incident you aren’t aware of and that incident could be significant for your
story. Never ever make your facts superficial. Dig deep and nail the details.

Now, how do you go about researching for a story?

1.Firstly, know what
you have to research. You can know that only when you know what your story is
all about. Map out all that you have to find out before the actual researching.
Otherwise, you will end up wasting time and resources researching about
unnecessary things. Update your list of all the things you need to research as
you learn new things and go about with the story.

2. Details matter-Are you writing a sci fi set in space?
Your research shouldn’t stop when you find out all about gravity, the space
equipment or the astronomer’s suit. You also need to know what actually happens
to a human body when they are in space. Some real life comments on how one feels in space. What happens when one
returns to earth after the travel? How do they feel mentally? Or physically? DO
NOT BE SUPERFICIALL IN YOUR FACTS. It doesn’t do any good. If you are hoping
for a solid story then get those facts right. Now, how do you verify the facts?
Look for different sources of knowledge. Has Google told you the egg comes
before the chicken? Then find out how many sites say so. What is the authenticity
of those sites? What do the experts say? Yes, it is a lot of work. I never said
research was easy.

3. Internet is your best friend, Wikipedia isn’t– Yes, Wikipedia
has helped you complete many of your school assignments but it isn’t going to
help you to get your facts correct. Always browse more and read from other
sites too. Compare the facts to find out the most precise one. Actually, stay
away from Wikipedia until the end. That way any influences will be under check.

4.Travel guide book all the way- Writing about a place you
haven’t been to before? Travel guides – book and person- are your best friends.
The internet is an ocean of resource and you can find almost everything there.
But the actual travel guides will tell you what are those things you need to look
up on the net. You will be able to find many guide profiles on the net. Ask
them if they are willing to help you out with a doubt. Many will be enthusiastic
about it. Use ‘I’m a writer’ card
whenever you can. People get excited and talk more. Travel guides act like the
starting guide, the internet being the more detailed and elaborate channel.

5.Google all combinations – Type out all combinations of
words in the search bar when you are looking up something on the net. Different
links come up each time and one might just be the one you are really looking
for. Sometimes try out yahoo answers. Say, you are writing a medical thriller
and you want some info on doctor’s lingo search for ‘what is the lingo used by
doctors + yahoo answers’. You will be surprised how helpful those things are.

6.Library is a magical place- Take a leaf from Hermoine’s book. The resources of a library are there to be exploited.
There could be one book on some shelf that will open up new vistas for your
writing. Head to a library when it is research time. Internet isn’t the only
Know-It-All.

7.Practical work– if you think research can be limited to
the internet and books you are wrong. Sometimes, they don’t tell you
everything. For instance, you are writing about a place where a particular food is famous and you plan to include that in the story. You can’t just put in the
name of the dish and talk about how hot the eats is (if it is a spicy one, that is).
What do you do? Taste the food! Go ahead and cook it yourself to find out everything
about it. You could just ask someone who tasted it before. But I believe that
people miss out the finer things that writers can pick out. The smell, the memories
the smell/taste brings, all those things which will bring the particular dish
to life.

8. Be a nuisance-Yes, you read that right. What I mean is that ask ask ask people who you
think might know the answer to a question you have. Be nosy. Want to know the
perfect weapon to kill a person? Who else better to ask than a doctor. Hassel them
until you find out. Surgeons, policemen, whoever you need are people you can
find around you. Go to them for help. Now, don’t go harassing them so much that
they get a restraining order against you.

9. Find a person – What job does your protagonist do? Or any character for the matter? Is one of
them a spy? Go find a real spy to pick up some tricks from. Maybe the internet
or a book will tell you how it is to be a bus driver but only a real bus driver
will be able to give you those juicy bits our dear Google cannot. Find a
person.

10.Lastly, experience everything – Research has no start or
end. You are always looking for information. Experience new things, try out adventures,
and do all those crazy stuffs. It gives you firsthand knowledge when you talk about
a particular thing in your story. I, for instance, know tarot card reading. If
I were ever to include tarot cards in my story, I will know exactly what I’m
talking about. Next time you are traveling by train, make notes about your
experience. You have no idea how helpful they are. Better still, take videos.

Research is an amazing part of writing a story. You learn,
read, see so many new things you wouldn’t have known otherwise. Embrace the
hard work that goes into research. It will pay off.

A P J Abdul Kalam - 1931- 2015 There are not many living people I consider my role models. Since the day Kalam became India's Presi...

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